While you might have already considered your carbon offsets, opted for a flight that produces fewer emissions, or chosen to stick to flight-free travel in the pursuit of making your next trip more sustainable, there’s a chance you’ve ignored another key component of your trip: your luggage. 

Suitcases and other luggage made from recycled materials and organic fabrics can provide you years of use. We’ve searched out manufacturers with eco-conscious certifications and proven track records of sustainable practices to find travel gear that’s built to last.

Here is the best sustainable luggage.

The Paravel Aviator Grand combines a recycled polycarbonate exterior with recycled metal parts, including zippers and an aircraft grade aluminum handle that will travel as long as you do. The fabric lining is made from recycled, single-use plastic bottles, with trim and other fabric details incorporating vegan leather.

Best Overall

Paravel Aviator Grand

Manufacturer Paravel has upcycled 3.1 million plastic bottles and planted 70,000 trees—two factors contributing to the Aviator Grand’s carbon neutral status. Paravel further offsets carbon beyond its manufacturing emissions to cover your initial travel with the bag. A five-year warranty, covering wear and tear, ensures you’ll get a lot of use from the Aviator Grand.

In addition to its eco-friendly bonafides, the Aviator Grand suitcase also includes convenient features like 360 frictionless carbon steel wheels, an interior compression board, removable accessories pouch, and a TSA-approved lock.

The Paravel Aviator Grand is available in six colors and three sizes, including two that meet TSA requirements for carry-ons.

Price at time of publish: $425

With a 40-liter capacity, the Dakine Terminal Spinner is not only roomy (but with carry-on ready dimensions), it’s also durable, with water-resistant, 600 denier ripstop polyester—a bluesign approved fabric made from recycled plastic water bottles.

Best Carry On

Dakine Terminal Spinner Carry-On 40L Bag

Dakine’s Terminal Spinner also has thoughtful organization features, including a split-level interior, with mesh dividers and compression straps. The roomy exterior pocket is padded for laptops up to 17 inches. It’s even got a “cup rest,” which isn’t quite a cupholder, more a place to set your coffee when you’re standing still.

The Terminal Spinner is available in five colors.

Price at time of publish: $220

Designed to be your go-to bag for travel, this backpack expands to 45 liters for optimal carry-on sizing and collapses back to a more manageable 35 liters for when you’re out and about during the day. The Peak Design Travel Backpack has both internal and external pockets, with quick-access pockets for frequently-used small items, expandable side pockets, a padded laptop sleeve, and a main compartment that can be split in two with zippered mesh.

Best Backpack

Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L

Made from lightweight, 400 denier recycled nylon, with a PU-coated interior, this travel backpack is nearly weatherproof. The bottom liner provides even more protection and a thicker fabric, so you don’t have to worry about setting your bag down on a wet surface.

The Peak Design Travel Backpack is also Fair Trade certified and carbon neutral. It even comes with a lifetime guarantee, which covers “failures or breakages.”

Price at time of publish: $483

Patagonia is well-known for their sustainability commitments, particularly through their lifetime repair guarantee and reuse programs. The Black Hole 55L Duffel is no exception: everything from the polyester ripstop outer (with a water-resistant laminate) to the lining materials and webbing is made from recycled fabric. At 900 denier, the outer shell of this duffel is as tough as fabric bags come.

Best Duffel

Patagonia Black Hole Duffel Bag

The Black Hole Duffel is available in 40-liter, 70-liter, and 100-liter capacities.

Price at time of publish: $169

Solgaard’s Check-In Closet is the closest the modern traveler can get to one of those old steamer trunks covered in stickers. True to its name, the Check-In Closet is designed with interior shelves, so you interact with its contents with the bag standing up.

Best Large Bag

Solgaard Check-In Closet

The removable internal organization system has five shelves, with mesh compartments attached to the telescoping handle to create a “closet” that’s taller than the sealed case. With a 91-liter capacity, Solgaard’s Check-In Closet can handle more than enough for a week of travelling. Despite its size, the Check-In Closet is also easy to roll around, thanks to frictionless 360 degree wheels.

Built from a polycarbonate shell made from recycled plastic bottles, the Check-In Closet is durable enough to sport a 10-year warranty. It’s available in five different colors.

Price at time of publish: $355

The Monos combines a polycarbonate hard shell, an aluminum frame, and vegan leather details. More than an unbreakable carry-on, the Monos Hybrid is also a design standout, with an impressive suite of internal organizers made from an ultra-soft, antimicrobial fabric. It even comes with antimicrobial laundry and shoe bags.

Best Vegan

Monos Hybrid Carry-On

Its extremely durable shell and anodized aluminium frame are designed to be recycled at the end of the product’s life, which shouldn’t be anytime soon. The Monos Hybrid is covered by a limited lifetime warranty for the repair and replacement of all major parts on the case. You can even test it out for a 100 days before committing.

Price at time of publish: $325

Day Owl’s The Backpack has a minimalist exterior that hides a wealth of thoughtful organizational features. Most impressive is the sheer number of pockets, which include a padded pocket for laptops up to 16 inches, spill-resistant bottle pocket, flat front pocket, a floating top pocket, and a “secret” side pocket.

Best Canvas

Day Owl The Backpack

But it’s not just the design that’s innovative. The Backpack is made from recycled plastic bottles, including the recycled polyester lining and waxed canvas exterior. Day Owl intends for The Backpack to be “completely circular,” not only manufacturing it from sustainable materials, but also taking the bag back for upcycling when you’ve found an end to its use.

Day Owl’s The Backpack comes in eight colors, including a variety of pleasant pastels.

Price at time of publish: $149

For weekend breaks where you’re only packing a change of clothes, you can’t beat the practical design of the Catalina Deluxe Tote. While it looks like a normal bag, its bottom pocket—separated from the rest by a removable piece of fabric—is designed to store your shoes or dirty clothes away from the rest of your things. 

Best Tote

Lo & Sons The Catalina Deluxe Weekender

A messenger strap padded with memory foam makes this comfortable to carry, but it’ll attach to your suitcase thanks to its handle sleeve if needed. You can also choose what your bag is made from: pick between extremely durable and water resistant 600 denier poly (made from recycled plastic bottles), certified organic cotton canvas, or washed canvas—the two former fabrics being the most sustainable choices.

Price at time of publish: $215

What to Look for in Sustainable Luggage

Material Durability

Luggage has a bit of a tough ride, particularly when it comes to checking it in at the airport. Buying luggage that’s built to last—and comes with a warranty that’ll cover necessary repairs — is the most sustainable choice you can make. 

Made from 100% recycled materials with a five-year warranty and an outstandingly chic look, the Paravel Aviator Grand (view at Paravel) is sustainable luggage that doesn’t sacrifice any features. For an unstructured option that’s just as rugged, we recommend the Patagonia Black Hole 55L Duffel (view at REI), which is available with or without wheels.

When it comes to the materials, polycarbonate is one of the most durable materials for suitcases, and it’s also an environmentally sustainable choice too, thanks to the fact it can be made from recycled post-industrial waste and be recycled at the end of its life. 

Denier Measurement

For luggage made from fabric, the denier (a measurement of the thickness of the fibers) is the key information to look out for. The higher the denier, typically the more durable the material, although it’s also worth noting that manmade fibers such as polyester tend to wear much better than natural fibers. 

Size

Whether you’re on a weekend city break or exploring the other side of the world for a month, your luggage needs will be very different. Bags and suitcases tend to be measured in liters (L), which can seem quite confusing; instead, look at the width x height x breadth measurements of a case for a more easy to visualize sense of size. This is also very important when it comes to carry-on, where there are very strict rules regarding the size of the case you’re allowed to bring on the airplane.

How can I make my luggage last longer?

One of the easiest ways that luggage can get damaged is in transit and, particularly if you’re travelling by airplane, there’s often very little you can do about it. That said, wrapping your luggage at the airport can protect it from bumps and scrapes. 

Once you’re back home, it’s a good idea to consider how you store your luggage. Many come with a case to protect them from damage or scuffs while they’re tucked away in a cupboard. It’s also good practice to spot-clean exterior surfaces and the interior lining using a damp cloth and a mild detergent mixed with water after use. This will help the luggage continue to look as good as new. 

It’s also important to never overload a case or bag, as this can lead to damage to zippers or seams. Choosing the correctly sized luggage for the occasion is a sensible choice that will ensure your suitcase or backpack lasts. 

Buying a soft case, such as a large duffle, may also pay off compared with a hard case. The latter, while designed to be durable, can end up cracking if it faces too much rough and tumble with baggage handlers. 

Can luggage be recycled?

Most luggage isn’t recyclable because it’s recyclable components, like aluminum frames, aren’t separable from the other parts of the bag. But while local recycling facilities may not be able to handle your luggage, many manufacturers have initiated voluntary recycling initiatives. Companies like Day Owl, which manufacture one of our recommended picks, offer its own return programs for upcycling old luggage.

Other ways of making sure your luggage gets a second lease of life is to donate it to charity. If it’s still in working condition but just a bit battered and bruised, consider offering it to a homeless charity, foster care agency, or emergency shelter that may well have people in need of such an item. 

Why Trust Treehugger?

Treehugger wants to help you find sustainable solutions for travel. For this roundup, and we’ve researched the most environmentally-friendly choices when it comes to luggage.

Steph Dyson is a travel writer, blogger and guidebook author specializing in South America, who has spent years putting luggage through its paces. Committed to all-things sustainability, she’s on a mission to help others reduce their carbon footprint.